Revolver-lock mechanism



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. B, WBSSON.

REVOLVER LOGKMBGHANISM. No. 520,468. Patented May 29, 1894.

nlllillll i l l, Y. Miva @naar 2 Sheets-Sheet@ D. yB. WESSON. REVOLVERA 1.00K .MBGHANISM Patented May 29, A1894.

. UNITED STATES.. PATENT E'ECE."

provements,

. `'DANIEL B. wESsoN, oFSPRINGFIELo, MASSACHUSETTS.

REvoLyER-LOCK MEcHANlsM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lea-'ers Patent No. 520,468, dated Mayjae, 1894.

Application filed JannaryvZ, 189er.l Serial No. 498,132.vv (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that'I, DANIEL B. WESSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of have invented new and useful Improvementsin Revolving Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tire-arms 'and particularly to improvements in revolvers having reference to various details of construction thereof, all as hereinafter fully described and more particularly pointed out in the claims. v l

' The object of this invention is to improverevolving tire-arms, in variousparticulars.

ln the drawings forming part of this 'speciication, Figuresl and 2 are side'elevations of a revolving lire-arm embodying my imsaid figures showing the side plate of the arm removed and the extremity of the barrel broken od, Fig. l illustrating the normal position of the lock mechanism af- \ter the discharge of the arm, and Fig. 2 illustrating the position of said mechanism when the hammer strikes a cartridge'to explode it. Fig. 3 is a perspective the arm, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional l.view of the lower. portion of the hammer on line 4 4, Fig. 3, and of the end of a swaging tool, the use of which is hereinafter-described.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the locking mechanism hereinafter described, said ligure showing in dotted lines the posi- .tion of the end of a spring acting in said mechanism. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in'section, of the, trigger the cylinder-moving arm connected therewith and a spring in the trigger having an engagement with said arm. Fig.` 7 is a perspective view of the end of the cylinder of the weapon adjoining the rear end of the barrel.

In the drawings, A indicates the frame of the arm; 2, the hammer; 3, the trigger; and 4,

V g the cylinder.

In the construction .of rebounding lockV mechanism for arms of the class hereinshown and described and other analogous ones, as

heretofore practiced, no meansv have usually been providedvfory preventing the accidental movement of the hammer againsta cartridge actingV after the hammer shall havereboundview ofthe hammer of v 'tired rearwardly away .illustrated in Fig. l, and the extremity of the ed, whereby the hammer is rigidly retained in. a retired position relative to any cartridge which may move in front of it, until the trigger shall haye been again operated to fire the arm. The absence of such provision for retaining the hammer in said retired position leaves the latter dependent upon some spring action to hold it away from a cartridge, and, consequently, a force inadvertently exerted against the hammer capableof overcoming said spring action might drive the hammer againstacartridge and produce an accidental discharge of the arm. To provide against the danger of such accidental `discharge of the armand to surely and rigidly maintain the 'hammer thereof in what may be termed a safety-position, the below described improved hammer locking or retaining mechanism is provided.

The hammer, 2, is ner at 5 in the arm and in its lowerend is formed a catch-notch, 6. A stirrup, 7, is pivoted in a slot, or recess, 8, (see Fig. 3,) in the rear edge of the hammer, and that part of the stirrup below its pivot point, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is made to engage with the base of 'said slot below said pivot, whereby the free end of said stirrup while engaged with the main spring, 9, can have no swinging movement any `farther away from the rearedge of the hammer than it is brought to by the action of said spring and has, consequently, when so connected, such rigid engagement with the hammer that the extremeforward pivoted in-the usual manmovement of the latter, as illustrated in- Fig.

2, which is required for striking a cartridge in the cylinder, 4, causes the end of the stirrup which is in engagement with the main spring, 9, to move upward near the extremity of said spring, as .illustrated in said last named figure, when the hammer so strikes a The immediate reaction of said cartridge. spring against the stirrup causes the upper extremity' of the hammer to be instantly refrom the cylinder, as

stirrup to vtake its normal position relative to said spring there shown. This last described action of the hammer is what is termed the vrebound thereof, but were there nothing to prevent it it will be clearly understood that IOO ablow upon the rear edge of the hammer, while held in the position shown in Fig. 1, by the action of the main spring, only, the hammer may be driven forwardly against a cartridge in the cylinder by some blow thereon with suiiicient force to explode a'cartridge, accidentally. To provide against said accidental movement of the rebounding hammer a catch-Iever,f10, is pivoted below the latter having a catch-notch, 1], thereon which is adapted to automatically engage with the said notch, 6, on the lower end of the hammer, when the latter shall have been,by said reaction of the main spring, 9, brought to the rearwardposition shown in Fig. 1. A spring, 12, acts under said lever to so engage it,

Fig. 2 shows the forward position of the hammer when it strikesl the end of a cartridge and it also illustrates the position of said catch-lever relative to the notch, 6, in the `hammer at that time. The `last named figure shows the trigger, 3, in the position in which it is held when the arm is discharged. Said catch-lever, 10, has a second arm, o, through which is a slot, as shown', near its extremity, and a pin in the side of4 the trigger engages in said slot. The engagement ofthe trigger and the catch-lever, 10, thus eected, has for its end the movement of the catchnotch, 11, away from thenotch, 6, en the hammer in the act of firing the arm, so that the hammer may be free to strike the cartridge. The catch lever 10 also has athirdarm s, which acts as an abutment, against which the shoulder of the trigger is stopped when the trigger has reached its extreme movement. 1 ,A

By reference to Fig. 2, it is seen (as above l set forth) that when the cartridge is so struck,

the notch, 6, on the hammer may be slightly back of thenotch, 11, in the-lever, 10, but the said rebound of the hammer brings it, relatively to said notchj in lever, 10,'to theposition shown in Fig. 2, so that saidV notches, 6 and 11, are in coinciding positions, and will co-engage as in Fig. 1,\when the trigger is released and swings to the position shown in the last-named figure. The spring, 12, has

Ais engaged with the trigger, 3, and the trip-lever,

' one end engaging under the end of lever, 10,

to move the latter against the hammer, and said spring serves, by its connection with the trigger through said lever, 10, and the arm, o, thereof, also as a trigger spring to swing it from the position shown in Fig. 2, to that shown in Fig". 1, when the catch of lever 10, notch, 6, of the hammer.

The lock mechanism of the arm herein described adapts the latter to be used either asl a self-cocking-pistol (cooking by'pulling the trigger), or to be cocked by using the thumb as in ordinary arms. When the pistol is to be iired'by self-cooking the rear point of the 413, on the front edge of the hammer occupy the positions shown in Fig.,1 whereby, when the trigger 1s pulled, it engages with the under side of said trie lever and thereby the hammer is swung recoil plate back to full cock. The end of the trigger then swings clear of the extremity of the triplever, as shown in Fig. 2, letting the hammer swing forward and strike the cartridge, and

then, upon releasing the trigger the latter swings down pastthe free end of said trip lever, the latter swinging back to let the point of the trigger pass to the position shown in Fig.

1. A spring, shown back of said trip lever,

operates to retain 1t in the position shown in Fig. l when not'interfered with by the trigger, as aforesaid. When the arm is fired by cocking, by hand, the thumb is applied in the usual way to the hammer and as the hammer moves over, backwardly, it engages under the point of the trigger until the latter shall drop into the notch, ,in the hammer and then the latter is at full cock. The operation of the catch-lever, 10, as above described, is the same whether the arm be red as a self-cooking one, or otherwise.

The hammer, 2, and the trigger, 3, each, has rigidly xed in the opposite sides thereof and surrounding their pivot bearing, the bushings, 14 (see Fig. 4-. whichillustrates in enlarged view a section of the hammer on line 4-4, Fig. 3 andclearly illustrates the position of said bushings at each end of the pivot bearing, thebushing construction being identical both in the hammer and in the trigger). The said bushings are preferably hardened before being inserted in the sides of the trigger or hammer and they project beyond the surrounding plane of the sides of said parts and thus provide against the consequences of =the excessive wear of said bearings and. by

reason of their projecting positions beyond the sides of the parts, as aforesaid, they prevent the contact of the side plates of the arm with the sides of the hammer and trigger,

the sides .of the hammer and trigger to receive the said bushings which bushings are of circular form and of Aconical shape, exteend of a hollow tool, h, (see Fig. 4) against those portions of the sides of the hammer or trigger immediately surrounding said recesses, thereby swaging the last named parts forcibly against the tapered bushings and rigidly fixing them in their places.

The cylinder turning arm, 16, which is pivotally connected by one end to the trigger and has its free end passing through a slot in the trigger. That arrangement of said spring is.

Vthereby leaving the latter greater freedomof l motion. Countersunk recesses are formed in l 1 riorly, and the bushings are secured in said vrecesses by forcing the and engaging with the ratchet ,teeth on the rear 'end of -,the cylinder, 4:, to 125 inconvenient for the reason that there is usually a lack of sucient room to so apply it that it can act with proper freedom and withthe construction herein shown and described has formed therein (see Fig. 6) a chamber, 15, to receive the arm'-spring, 18. The form of said arm,16, on the outside of the trigger is` v shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and under that part in the trigger.

of the arm near its pivotal connection with the trigger is formed a curved opening, d, in the side of the trigger, and a pin, 17, is fixed in said arm which passes through said slot and projects more or less into said chamber; The spring, 18, is secured byf one end' in said chamber in the trigger as shown in Fig. 6, and passing under the pivotbearing of the trigger has its free end bearing upon the said pin, 17, in the arm, 16, and the action of said spring causes the said arm to swing in the direction indicated by the Curved arrow in the last named ligure, while, when the trigger is pulled, the arm moves against the ratchet on the cylinder of the arm in the direction of the straight arrow in said lfigure.

Revolver cylinders have usually been made with plane surfaces at the end of the cylinder which adjoins the' barrel. An exception to this has been a cylinder with sharp edged rings at its front,around the chambers,which ringswere forced into the barrel by crowding the cylinder forward before firing. lI form the front of the cylinder 4 with annular projections e on its front, as shown in Fig. 7.

This leaves a space or recess between these rings for the reception bf I' the products of combustion, while the rings themselves present narrow contact faces against the end of by the rotation of the cylinder, insuring a close joint and easy operation. The rings may be milled on the cylinder, or may be projecting bushings.

What I claim as my invention is- 'the barrel, and these faces are scraped clean 1. The combination, in a fire-arm, of the hammer, the stirrup pivoted thereto and having a side bearing against the hammer to limit its movement around the pivot, and the mainspring having an inclined surface engaging said stirrup, and acting to rebound the ham;

mer by the movement of the engaging part j of the stirrup along said incline, and the hooked lever' pivoted in the frame and engaging the hammer to prevent its fall after the rebound, all substantially, as described.

2. A pivoted part of a gun lock having a recess in the side of its body, surrounding the bearing opening, and a perforated frustoconical disk secured in -said recess by thev metal of the body upset about the disk, substantially as described.

3. In a revolving tire-arm, the frame, the barrel projecting slightly inside the cylinder recess in said frame, and the cylinder in said recess, having a rigid support against, forward movement, and having projecting rings surrounding the cartridge chambers, extend- -ing forward from the body off the cylinder,

all combined substantially as described.

l DANIEL B. WESSON. Witnesses: p l

\ H. A. CHAPIN,

WM. S. BELLows. 

